2025 Short Line Railroads Industry Report

Industry Overview

This U.S. industry comprises establishments known as short-line railroads primarily engaged in operating railroads for the transport of cargo over a short distance on local rail lines not part of a rail network.
Source: US Census Bureau

Market Size and Industry Forecast

The Short Line Railroads industry report contains historical and forecasted statistics used by leading private equity firms and consultants. Market sizes from 2020 to 2030 reflect industry trends and growth patterns. Revenues include both public and private companies in the Short Line Railroads industry.

	Historical					Forecasted
	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026	2027	2028	2029	2030
Market Size (Total Revenue)
% Growth Rate
Number of Companies
Total Employees
Average Revenue per Company
Average Employees per Company

Source: U.S. government financial data



Advanced econometric models forecast five years of industry growth based on short- and long-term trend analysis. Market size includes revenue generated from all products and services sold within the industry.

Geographic Breakdown by U.S. State

Market size by state reveals local opportunity through the number of companies located in the region. Each state's growth rate is affected by regional economic conditions. Data by state can be used to pinpoint profitable and nonprofitable locations for Short Line Railroads companies in the United States.

Distribution by Company Size

Company Size	All Industries	Short Line Railroads
Small Business (< 5 Employees)
Small Business (5 - 20)
Midsized Business (20 - 100)
Large Business (100 - 500)
Enterprise (> 500)

Short Line Railroads Industry Income Statement (Average Financial Metrics)

Financial statement analysis determines averages for the following industry forces:

• Cost of goods sold
• Compensation of officers
• Salaries and wages
• Employee benefit programs
• Rent paid
• Advertising and marketing budgets

The report includes a traditional income statement from an "average" company (both public and private companies included).

	Industry Average	Percent of Sales
Total Revenue
Operating Revenue
Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)
Gross Profit
Operating Expenses
Operating Income
Non-Operating Income
Earnings Before Interest and Taxes (EBIT)
Interest Expense
Earnings Before Taxes
Income Tax
Net Profit

Financial Ratio Analysis

Financial ratios allow a company's performance to be compared against that of its peers.

Financial Ratio	Industry Average
Profitability Ratios
Profit Margin
ROE
ROA
Liquidity Ratios
Current Ratio
Quick Ratio
Activity Ratios
Average Collection Period
Asset Turnover Ratio
Receivables Turnover Ratio
Inventory Conversion Ratio

Short Line Railroads Industry Compensation and Salary Surveys

Title	Percent of Workforce	Bottom Quartile	Average (Median) Salary	Upper Quartile
Management Occupations	5%
Chief Executives	0%
General and Operations Managers	1%
Office and Administrative Support Occupations	8%
Construction and Extraction Occupations	10%
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations	15%
Vehicle and Mobile Equipment Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers	7%
Heavy Vehicle and Mobile Equipment Service Technicians and Mechanics	6%
Rail Car Repairers	6%
Transportation and Material Moving Occupations	48%
Rail Transportation Workers	38%
Locomotive Engineers and Operators	16%
Locomotive Engineers	14%
Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters	17%
Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters	17%

Government Contracts

The federal government spent an annual total of $240,954 on the short line railroads industry. It has awarded 16 contracts to 6 companies, with an average value of $40,159 per company.

Top Companies in Short Line Railroads and Adjacent Industries

Company	Address	Revenue ($ Millions)